Job market in Colorado - good/bad? (sales, foreclosed)

[Screw Sacramento]

I've been reading that unemployment in Colorado is at about 8%, which is much lower than California and Michigan, but from the perspective of someone who actually lives there, how easy or hard is it to get a job? (I'm not too discriminate; I'm interested in the prospects of any job from fast food/grocery store to a career move like contracting and administration.)

Are people there having a hard time making ends meet or are the utilities, DMV registration, and state taxes pretty reasonable?

[gmm_24]

I say it is fairly hard to get a good job. I do have one but my hours have been cut, my husband and all gov workers have 5 furlough days, my son has been laid off more than he has been working. When he goes for any interviews there are plently of others seeking the same job. Right now if you hate your job, or it is not paying you that well you keep it anyway cause who knows if you can get another. But there are jobs out there.
There are enough foreclosed houses and people giving away their pets due to having to move to an apt that I am sure not everyone is making ends meet.

As far as car registration goes well it has always been high but in Weld county we are paying an extra in road fees, not sure if it is in other counties as well. So a new car can run you $500 to get plates, $600 and up for an SUV truck, plus $35 to 50 more for the road fees. It does go down each year but really hurts the first few years till your car gets older.

My electricty has gone up about 25% but our usage has not.

State taxes are reasonable, sales tax is 8.25% in most areas.

[Screw Sacramento]

Originally Posted by gmm_24

I say it is fairly hard to get a good job. I do have one but my hours have been cut, my husband and all gov workers have 5 furlough days, my son has been laid off more than he has been working. When he goes for any interviews there are plently of others seeking the same job. Right now if you hate your job, or it is not paying you that well you keep it anyway cause who knows if you can get another. But there are jobs out there.
There are enough foreclosed houses and people giving away their pets due to having to move to an apt that I am sure not everyone is making ends meet.

As far as car registration goes well it has always been high but in Weld county we are paying an extra in road fees, not sure if it is in other counties as well. So a new car can run you $500 to get plates, $600 and up for an SUV truck, plus $35 to 50 more for the road fees. It does go down each year but really hurts the first few years till your car gets older.

My electricty has gone up about 25% but our usage has not.

State taxes are reasonable, sales tax is 8.25% in most areas.

Are there any fast food or lower end jobs out there?

[2bindenver]

yes. there are plenty of entry level jobs. Snag a job posts ads for hourly wage employees.

[vegaspilgrim]

Actually, I think the entry level jobs and unskilled positions are actually the hardest jobs to get right now in this economy. And then it's really who you know.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Actually, I think the entry level jobs and unskilled positions are actually the hardest jobs to get right now in this economy. And then it's really who you know.

Yes, my daughter is looking for one, and not having a great deal of success.

[ColoWeb]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Actually, I think the entry level jobs and unskilled positions are actually the hardest jobs to get right now in this economy. And then it's really who you know.

Totally agree with that since there are more people to compete against you for such a position. The 'more skilled' jobs are not easy to find but you would have less competition.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by ColoWeb

Totally agree with that since there are more people to compete against you for such a position. The 'more skilled' jobs are not easy to find but you would have less competition.

I do not agree, as there are much less skilled jobs in the market; so there can be a great deal of competition for these positions, especially when we over educate with easily obtained common college degrees. That leaves a great many of the workforce unfulfilled, thinking that they learned some needed skill but in reality they have nothing to offer; they are just part of the crowd. All these "educated" people have great expectations and believe they deserve more than others, but they deserve what they can offer, not because they have a college degree.

There is always many more unskilled jobs. Yes, there are more people unskilled but they have a choice of a greater range of industries where some will be hiring and some not. Unskilled jobs tend to open more frequently as people can move from job to job; industry to industry. So, the music plays more often, a chair may be removed, but the music will start again and around you go.

When, an unskilled industry closes in an area, unskilled workers more readily leave and look for work in another place. A educated worker many times is tied to home ownership and cannot leave the area. So, we see a dearth of the over educated "professionals", with the idea that the world owns them a higher paying position. They also need that position because they have spend themselves to the level of of higher wants and desires.

The most highly paid skilled worker is one who has specific skills for an task. He will always be tied to that industry and if there is a downturn--he has no other choices. He believes that he can work in other areas, but he is typecast, especially when he as many years of experience in one professional task.

He assumes he can work in areas that do not require a skill or higher education because he believes he is much better worker than the unskilled. He will not be hired because it is known that he will be unsatisfied in an unskilled job; and will not follow directions; and will not perform without complaining.

An unskilled worker has many skills and attributes that a educated worker lacks. He obeys; he does his job; he complains less. He has less of an ego, as he is not filled with the idea of self importance of desires and wants, which are co-morbid with the highly educated. People hire in these type of industries are not going to hire a out of work lawyer where a high school education would suffice; it would be inviting too much turmoil in the workplace.

I believe the only way to assure happiness is to have less desires and wants, so that you will not have a difficult time satisfying these minimal needs. Once, you go beyond basic wants then you must train and be ready to fight for those jobs that will give you the money to afford your lifestyle.

Some would say I am advocating a life of no education, no ambition, no drive and no desire to succeed. No, I am advocating a more simpler life where you can apply your ambitions, your drive to a different idea of success. A success that is not driven by mindless ambitions of accumulating possessions. You can then pursue education and knowledge for the its own sake, without the idea of an anticipated needed monetary reward.

Livecontent

[ColoWeb]

Interesting perspective which can be true for some people. Some, however, have no choice and have to go for the 'other jobs' that they may not prefer. So even based on what you said, those 'skilled' job worker will keep looking for such jobs, while the 'unskilled' will be looking at all jobs, therefore I would still think that there would be more competition for such jobs.

I.e. lets say company A needs a a programmer with a computer science degree. Well out of jobs x number of unemployed people only Y % can apply/do the job.

Company B needs a cashier, out of x number of unemployed people the Y % who can apply for it is much grater. Therefore there is more competition. Do you complete against the computer programmer, probably not. but, as you mentioned, those jobs do not require someone to necessarily be a cashier to get this job so there is s more people to compete against.

At work we need a new tech support position, we may get 50-100 applicants, for example. We also need a receptionist, we get 500 applicants.

As a whole, you can say that there are more jobs for receptionists than for a support position, which is true. However, based on the number of unemployed people I still think that you have more competition against you.

[Screw Sacramento]

Originally Posted by livecontent

An unskilled worker has many skills and attributes that a educated worker lacks. He obeys; he does his job; he complains less. He has less of an ego, as he is not filled with the idea of self importance of desires and wants, which are co-morbid with the highly educated. People hire in these type of industries are not going to hire a out of work lawyer where a high school education would suffice; it would be inviting too much turmoil in the workplace.

I believe the only way to assure happiness is to have less desires and wants, so that you will not have a difficult time satisfying these minimal needs. Once, you go beyond basic wants then you must train and be ready to fight for those jobs that will give you the money to afford your lifestyle.

Some would say I am advocating a life of no education, no ambition, no drive and no desire to succeed. No, I am advocating a more simpler life where you can apply your ambitions, your drive to a different idea of success. A success that is not driven by mindless ambitions of accumulating possessions. You can then pursue education and knowledge for the its own sake, without the idea of an anticipated needed monetary reward.

Livecontent

Pretty profound viewpoint, and I can definately see it; thus the minimalist lifestyle some people choose (the stuff you own ends up owning you).

So I guess the take home lesson is--if I have an Associate Degree and some other certifications and am applying at Burger King, don't mention them? Theoretically, just walk in, state I have a high school diploma and am going to school. When I finish my bachelor's, maybe then I can really get out and compete. Just a thought. (all constructive criticism welcome! )